Strength in Numbers
by 0rangesAndLemons
Summary: Alexei and Lidiya have escaped the Glasshouse and are on the run, being hunted by the Furans across Europe. However G.L.O.V.E needs information that only they can give and Nero and Raven are sent to bring them in...
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This story is set in an alternate universe where Nero and young Raven return to the site of the original glasshouse with intent to destroy it and kill Pietor and Anastasia (the back story revealed in Deadlock) only to find it had vanished without a trace. It had moved location and it's original building was destroyed in case Nero had managed to extract its whereabouts from her._

Raven was woken up by the beeping of her blackbox. She groaned, sat up and picked it up. "What do you need Max?" She asked, speaking into the device.

"Natalya, H.I.V. found something you need to see. Come to my office. Its urgent"

"I'm on my way" she answered, getting up off her bed and throwing on the nearest pair of trousers.

.

.

.

The door to Nero's office slid open and Raven entered. She saw Max sitting at his desk sporting a look of concern. He glanced up."Natalya, H.I.V. found this footage from two days ago off of a security camera in Rue St. Denis, Paris. The footage shows two children that could possibly be - you know, what? It'll probably be easier if I just showed you".

He picked up a remote from his desk and pressed a button, starting a recording of grainy security footage.

Raven could make out two figures - a redheaded girl and brown haired boy, neither of whom could be over fifteen - sitting huddled in an alleyway. They were having what appeared to be a hushed discussion when the girl suddenly tensed, making gestures at the boy to be quiet. She took a shiny object out of her rucksack, a knife probably, and held it up, creeping forward and peering around a corner. She had obviously seen something threatening because she backed up a bit and dropped into a fighting stance with her knife at the ready, beckoning for the boy to join her. Three bulky men hurtled into the view of the camera with their guns raised and pointed at the two figures. The man in the middle of the trio reached for his equipment belt and fumbled for a radio but the boy and girl took advantage of his momentary distraction and sprang into action. In an incredible display, they disarmed all three men and knocked them unconscious at a pace even Raven found difficult to follow,before sprinting off as fast as they could in the other direction. The recording finished.

"Max, there's only one place I know of where they could have learned to fight like that" Raven breathed. "Do you think they're from… from the Glasshouse? Did they manage to escape?"

"I'm almost certain of it" Nero replied. He rewound the video a bit and zoomed in on the man with the radio. "His name is Gregory Sokolov. He's a known associate of the Furans. G.L.O.V.E have been trying to track him down for the past three months in an effort to obtain information about the current whereabouts of the Glasshouse. We're pretty sure he's one of the head guards in the damned place".

"I need to find that boy and girl" said Raven with determination. "They could have answers. Do we know where they are currently?

"No but I have H.I. scouring every piece of security footage we can find from today to see if he can locate them"

As if on que, the calm automated voice of the A.I broke up the conversation with "I've located them in the boulevard du Montparnasse. Should I notify the engineers to begin prepping a shroud?"

"Yes, do. Also wake up Chief Lewis and notify him of the situation. We may need backup so tell him to send his best men.

.

.

.

As much as Lidiya hated the idea of stopping for a rest especially with their pursuers so close, she knew it was necessary. Her and Alexei had been travelling on foot for the past 48 hours with little water and food and no sleep. If they continued on this way, it wouldn't have been long until one of them keeled over from exhaustion.

Montparnasse was a nice place with charming buildings and cobbled roads. The stars were shining in the night sky. It was a pity that she couldn't enjoy the view for much longer as they had to be up and gone by the morning if they wanted to avoid an unpleasant encounter with the Glasshouse guards. While the guards seemed to have lost the two escapee's scent, it was difficult to tell for how much longer. They could even be close now, maybe less than a mile away waiting to close in. Lidiya shuddered and tried to suppress those thoughts. The only way she was going back to that wretched place was in the form of a corpse.

It was nearly time for Alexei to take the watch so she could get in some valuable sleep. She looked at him, snoring lightly with his mouth open. His brown hair was messy and unkempt and he was drooling a bit. Despite the tough and serious persona he adopted around almost everyone, he was an utter dweeb and she loved him for it.

She bent down and gently shook him awake. "Alright you've had your slee-" she stopped at the look in his eyes - the fleeting moment of terror as he tried to process where he was and how he got here.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine" he mumbled, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"You were having nightmares again, weren't you?"

Alexei looked at the ground and sighed, nodding his head yes. Nightmares were common. Lidiya had them too. Every time she closed her eyes she was plagued with memories from the Glasshouse she had been trying so hard to forget.

"Do you need to talk about it or…" she asked, hoping he was okay.

"No. I'll be fine" he replied as he got to his feet. "Get some sle-"

A quiet zapping sound whipped through the air and striking Alexei square in the chest. Lidiya dived for cover as her friend crumpled to the floor. She forced herself to stay calm and sneaked a peak at Alexei. He was still breathing, which meant still alive, and she let out a sigh of relief. She could not see any sign of trauma so he must have been hit with some sort of tranquilizer- a taser maybe?

"Focus" she scolded herself. "The exact weapon he was hit with doesn't matter right now. What's your plan?"

She waited in her hiding place for a few more seconds. She needed to get to Alexei and hide his unconscious body from whoever shot him. When the coast seemed clear she slowly emerged,staying in at the wall where it was more difficult to be seen before kneeling down and lifting him up with a grunt. He was around half a foot taller than Lidiya and had a wider build so carrying was proving a challenge. She needed to find somewhere to put him and soon.

After about a minute of stumbling she came across a skip. It certainly wasn't the most dignified hiding spot but under the circumstances no one could afford to be picky. She heaved him into the container and arranged the various rubbish as quickly as she could so it covered him. Hopefully their pursuers wouldn't find him.

"I'll come back for you as soon as I can" she whispered to the skip before taking a switchblade out of her pocket and darting away.

.

.

.

Raven watched from an adjacent building as one of Chief Lewis's men took out the brown haired boy with a sleeper. The girl had dived for cover and could not be seen. She heard the chief's voice in her earpiece "The male target has been incapacitated. My men going to retrieve his body now"

"I'll go after the girl" she replied. "And Chief? Be careful. These children are dangerous and may not hesitate to kill you or one of your men"

"Rodger that" the chief replied.

Raven took out her sleeper and began to make her way down to the streets below, hoping this retrieval would be straightforward. The girl probably found a place to hide after her friend was shot and would be there now, waiting to pounce on his attackers when they came searching for her. She reached a back alley and carefully picked her way down it, keeping an eye out for any sign of movement and listening for any sound. She was interrupted by the chief in her ear once more.

"The male target's body is missing. The female must have hidden him"

Raven sighed. This wasn't good. She continued down the alleyway until she encountered a skip. "This could be good hiding place" she thought and bent down and moved away some of the garbage. There he was. She had found her guy. Raven reached up to her earpiece but a flicker of movement caught in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun around just in time to block a powerful blow from the girl she was trying to find. Even still, the force of it sent her staggering backwards. The girl wasted no time and unleashed a hail of kicks and punches which Raven, who was still dazed from the previous blow, found difficult to counteract. But luck seemed to be on Raven's side as her attacker lost her footing on the uneven ground, stumbling and allowing the assassin just enough time draw her sleeper, aim and pull the trigger, hitting the girl just as she drew her blade. She fell to the ground unconscious and Raven felt something she had not felt in a long time: guilt. She stared at the crumpled figure lying at her feet who was probably terrified out of her mind and ready to die if it meant her friend wasn't caught.

"Raven speaking" she spoke into her radio. "Both targets have been incapacitated. Load them on the shroud".


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry I took so long uploading this second chapter and also sorry that it's quite short. Im currently in the middle of exams and being my usual awful self, I didn't start studying until the night before they started. I now spend my life frantically cramming all day everyday and have little time for much else. So sorry about that. Once my exams are over I'll be off school so I'll upload longer chapters more frequently. Anyway, enjoy chapter two and please review (hey it rhymes) . All criticism welcome!**

Alexei awoke on the floor of some sort of windowless vehicle - a plane maybe? - with a cushion under his head. He bolted upright and immediately wished he hadn't because he was hit with an almighty headache. "Christ" he muttered and looked around. Lidiya was lying on the opposite side of the room, or the cockpit, or something. Probably a cockpit. It felt like whatever vessel they were in was flying. Lidiya was unconscious and he slowly made his way over to her, dizzy and disorientated.

"Lidiya" he whispered shaking her in an effort to wake her. "Lee, wake up"

No response. He checked her over quickly and was relieved to find no sign of serious injury, before sighed and leaned against the wall. Where the hell was he? He had no idea. His last memory was in France with Lee. There was a buzzing sound and then… nothing. Maybe a taser and knocked them both out. If so then who was responsible for this? The Furans? No, definitely not. He highly doubted that they would have granted them the luxury of being knocked out via taser, let alone giving them a pillow. "But who on earth would have any interest in us?" he questioned. "Nobody other than the Furan's even know we exist". They were both born and raised on the street anyway and didn't even have birth certificates. They had no official identity.

The door at the far side of the room hissed open and in walked a tall woman with a scar down the side of her face. Alexei leaped to his feet and raised clenched fists but the woman did not seem particularly fazed. She just placed a jug of water and two glasses beside the door.

"I am not interested in hurting either you or your friend" she stated. "You can relax".

He didn't lower his hands and fixed her with an icy glare.

"I understand that you have no reason to trust me and probably have many questions but believe me when I say not I, nor anyone on board this vassal wants to harm you."

"Who are you? What do you want from us?" The boy asked. His voice was calm but it was clear he was apprehensive.

The woman sighed. "My name is Raven. Before you attempt to attack me, no I am not working for the Furans so you can put your fists down. In fact I am part of an organisation who is currently working to disable them and their organization"

The boy relaxed a bit. "But why did you capture us? How do you even know who we are?"

Raven smiled. "Let's just say I'm… familiar with the glasshouse. I know how those who have been trained there fight. If you're ever trying to escape from something in the future, maybe try avoiding security cameras and fighting grown men in public places".

"Is lidiy - uh… the girl? Is she okay? Why is she unconscious?"

"She's fine" Raven stated. "She'll wake up in the next half an hour or so". She turned to Alexei and looked him in the eyes. "I understand that you are confused, scared and have many unanswered questions, I really do. Everything will be explained soon."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, the door hissing shut. Alexei was left in silence once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I just had a bit of a fiasco. I was trying to figure out how to edit stories that have already been uploaded as I noticed that the astrix's I put to indicate separate parts of the story had not uploaded (does support Astrix's?). Anyway long story short I ended up accidentally deleting the entire story (oops). I've had to reupload the story but it means I've lost my one follower (looking at you pietorraven :)) so if they still wanna read my story they're gonna have to refollow (sorry 'bout that). There sure are a lot of brackets in this headnote. I've replaced the astrix's with full stops so hopefully it'll work. Here's chapter three!**

Nero watched from a video feed in his office as the shroud landed with a thud. According to Raven, the retrieval had gone well and no one was harmed, however still did not want to underestimate these young assassin's skills. It was for that reason that security patrols in the school were doubled in anticipation of their arrival.

The ramp hissed open and the boy and girl were escorted down it by Raven and two guards. Looking at them, Nero noticed a resemblance in expression and stance to Raven. It was almost funny how much of her he saw in them. He just hoped they would cooperate and help find the Furan's.

"Natalya, please bring them to my office" he said into a microphone connected to her earpiece.

About a minute later, the door opened with a hiss and the boy and girl were prodded into the office followed by Raven. The two other guards took their positions either side of the entrance.

"Sit." He gestured at the seats in front of his desk.

They both looked at each other for a moment and Nero could tell they were having a silent conversation. After a few seconds they cautiously sat down.

"I'm sure you have many questions" Nero stated. The two didn't say anything. The boy stared at his feet but the girl looked at him in a way that made Nero feel like he was being assessed. He probably was, he thought. She was most likely scrutinizing him, trying to spot any sign of weakness or past injury, anything that she could use against him, just as she had been trained to do.

"My name is Dr. Nero I work for an organisation called G.L.O.V.E" he continued. "We brought you here because we are trying to track down the location of Anastasia and Pietor Furan. We hope you would be able to provide us with information. I'd like to make it clear that we mean you no harm and any information you give us will be given voluntarily, not by force."

They responded with more silence. Nero hoped that they would speak as it would show they weren't cautious of their surroundings, but he understood their unwillingness to talk. They had been through a lot if Raven was anything to go by and were now greeted by strangers who had pretty much just kidnapped them. They must have been terrified.

"What are your names" Raven asked softly, trying to make this a more comfortable environment. She knew what they were feeling having been through a lot of it herself. Exchanging names would maybe make them feel safer in foreign surroundings.

"Im… Alexei" the boy stated.

"Lidiya" the girl muttered quietly.

Nero nodded his head. "Well Alexei and Lidiya, I cannot begin to understand what you have gone through at the Glasshouse, and I know you have little reason to believe anything I am saying, but please acknowledge that you are safe here. You will not be brought back into the hands of the Furans"

"How did you know we escaped from the Glasshouse if you don't have contact with the Furans?" the girl asked cautiously. It was clear she did not trust Nero.

"We have had past experience with Glasshouse trainees and their fighting techniques" Nero replied calmly. "When G.L.O.V.E found footage of you and Alexei fighting in France we recognised the style. As well as that, one of the guards that were attacking you was identified as Gregory Sokolov. We knew he had connections with the Glasshouse leaving us with little doubt as to where you came from."

The girl nodded curtly and leaned back in her chair, seeming to accept his answer.

"May I ask why you want to take down the Furan's organisation? " Alexei quizzed.

"For the same reason as you, or indeed anyone else with a sane mind. They are dangerous psychopaths who do not care for anything but control, who will decimate an entire town without blinking an eye just to gain power. They need to be stopped."

"So you're like some sort of police?"

Nero chuckled a bit. "Not quite. Far from it. I'll explain tomorrow. You two need some rest and some food before you are fit to fill in holes in our investigation. Raven, will you take them to their quarters?"

Raven nodded and gestured to Alexei and Lidiya who quietly stood up and followed her out of the room.

.

.

.

There was a steaming hot plate of food waiting for each of them when they arrived. They pounced on it, guzzling down the steak, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. After their plates were scraped clean they gulped the ice cold water.

They had never had a meal like this. When they were homeless and on the street, they lived off stolen goods and whatever was in the upper class' bins. In the Glasshouse, they were fed a grey sludge that they assumed was some sort of military ration.

"Is is sad that this is the first steak I've ever had?" Alexei asked through mouthfuls of food.

"Or the first meal in years that has a taste?" Lidiya replied.

Showers followed and soon they were both sitting on Alexei's bed, exhausted and ready for sleep. "I think this is some sort of school" Lidiya told Alexei. "When we were getting walked to our room there were all these classrooms labeled things like " Laboratory 3" and "Computing". They were filled with these teenagers wearing different coloured jumpsuits"

"Yeah I noticed that too. Where even are we on the globe right now?"

"To be perfectly honest Alexei, I could care less if we're in a death camp. The showers are hot and the food isn't made in a lab so all's good"

Alexei laughed "Do you trust what he said… Dr. Nero?" he asked, suddenly serious. "Or do you think he's going to turn us over?"

"Well… I'm not sure. I think if he was going to turn us in he'd have done it already but I'm nervous about what happens after he's gotten us to give him information. Because then we've exhausted our usefulness so he'll have no need for us?"

"I don't think he'll kill us or anything like that. He's made it clear he doesn't agree with the Furan's tactics and I believe him. Maybe he'll get us to join this school, if it even is a school."

"I guess" Lidiya sighed. They were silent for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Alexei asked. "Are you okay?"

"Oh it's nothing. I'm just being stupid" Lidiya replied, trying to stop crying.

"Tell me"

"Well…" she she said quietly "I guess everything just kind of hit me, you know? I've… we've been constantly busy since we first met, from trying to survive in the Glasshouse to escaping and getting as faraway from it as possible. For the first time in years I'm able to stop and think… everything that happened just crashed down on me at once-" she sobbed and buried her face in Alexei chest, unable to go on.

It was then that it struck Alexei that this was the first time he'd ever seen her cry. It was strange that after all of the trauma she'd faced, it was now at a time of security and safety that she'd break down. She'd always been the stronger of the two. He wasn't used to seeing her this upset, but that made it hurt more.

"Shhh" he whispered wrapping his arms around her. "You're safe. You're going to be fine. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**"What's this?! Two chapters over two days?! But 0rangesAndLemons, you're a lazy piece of crap that doesn't upload more than once a month!" I hear you say. I'm pretty surprised too to be honest. But yeah, my Protestant aunt and Catholic Granny are staying over at my house at the same time so tension is a bit high. I've spent two days hiding in my room to avoid it, during which I wrote fan fiction so I could tell my mum I'm doing "creative writing" and she wouldn't make me socialise. Anyway enjoy chapter 4 and please review!**

 _7 years ago_

The redheaded girl was small and skinny, her ribs poking through her tattered shirt. She watched the rich and well-to-do walk past, trying to spot her next target. People in Tolyatti could be difficult to steal from. The poverty of the city and thievery went hand in hand, so the wealthy wisely invested in alarms and made sure not to put valuables in easy to access pockets. Unfortunately for the wealthy though, the small seven year old girl excelled at stealing. It was not difficult for her to get around these inconveniences, she had her age and her height to make her appear less untrustworthy, less dangerous. Yet she was quite the opposite.

As she watched people pass, she remembered how she used to envy them. They had a house to go home to, a family who loved them, food on the table, meanwhile she was thrown out by her own mother two years ago. She was currently only seven years old but had experienced much more in her short life than most. But she soon learned that she had no time for envy. She couldn't change the past and there was no point wanting something that is unattainable. It was better to focus on her next meal.

The girl spotted an old man across the street. He was wearing expensive designer clothes and walking a chihuahua. He clearly had poor eyesight as he was squinting at the road signs, struggling to make them out. She grinned to herself. He was perfect.

She crossed the road towards him, making herself look helpless and scared.

"Please sir" she said in high pitched voice. "I've… I've lost my mommy. I don't know where she is and I'm really scared ".

She forced herself to start crying.

"C-could I use your phone to call her" she asked, making her eyes huge and pleading.

The man turned to her and smiled. He held out his hand to her which she took, in the process discreetly removing his watch and pocketing it.

"You poor thing" he cooed and took out a Nokia from his jacket. "Do you know her number?"

The girl nodded and he handed her the phone. She opened it and pretended to dial in an number. She held it other ear and after a moment proceeded to fake a conversation.

"Hello. Yes its me. I'm outside the Café. See you soon Mommy. Bye"

She beamed and put the phone back in his jacket pocket for him, trading it for his wallet.

"Thank you very much" she smiled and gave the man a hug, taking the loose change from the back pockets of his jeans. She waved goodbye and ran across the road. The man would only realise what had happened when he tried to pay for his expensive dinner that evening.

The girl began to walk home. Well "home" was a compliment. She lived in an abandoned apartment complex that was on the verge of collapsing which she shared with beggars, drug addicts and ladies of the night. Not the she understood a lot of what the people there did. She was still too young.

Happy with the day, the girl settled down in an empty room to examine her prizes. The watch was expensive. It would by her food for a while if she spent it carefully. The wallet contained about 2000 tuples which, although it was less than she'd hoped for, was still money. She curled up listening to the wind outside and in no time she was fast asleep.

.

.

.

It was night time when she woke up. It was a cold and clear night. The stars could be clearly seen and the illuminated the empty streets. The girl grinned to herself. She loved the night. It was the one time she could be free, she could walk alone in the streets without the glares of wealthy strangers, she could run and laugh, she could think. She yawned, stretched and got up, throwing on the only jacket she owned. It was faded and moth eaten and around two sizes too big but it was warm and that's what mattered. She exited the apartment complex and sprinted down the street with a grin on her face, stopping only when she reached an old ornate building. She started to climb it using the intricate carvings as grips and footholds. She relished in climbing. She was good at it and she scaled the building in under a minute, loving the thrill it gave her. She let out a giggle and pulled herself over the ledge and into the roof.

That was where she sat for the next half an hour, staring up at the stars. She loved the stars. She didn't know why but they just gave her hope even in the darkest of times. She knew she never could but she always wanted the visit them, to be an astronaut just like Yuri Gagarin, a Russian hero. That was the one fantasy she let herself have. The girl remained here for ages, deep in thought. Then she was interrupted by a voice:

"Hello Lidiya"

She turned to see smiling woman dressed in fine fur. She was very beautiful, but something about unnerved the young girl. Maybe it was coldness of her eyes. A heavily muscled man stood beside her. He must have been her brother as they looked very alike.

"Who… what…" the young girl stammered. How did they know her name? Who were they? How did they get on the roof so quietly?

The woman's smile widened.

"My name is Anastasia Furan and this is my brother Pietor" she smiled. "It is clear that you have... _talents._ We are here to offer you a choice. You can come with us and we can show you how to use those talents or Pietor can shoot you and dump your body in a river." The muscular man produced a gun and aimed it at the young girl's head. "The choice is yours."

The sight of a gun instilled fear in Lidiya's mind and she panicked. A weapon, designed to kill quickly and efficiently, aimed between her eyes. She had to get away. She jumped up and ran and jumped over the gap to the next building, trying to escape. The man came running after her with incredible speed and agility. He reached her in a matter of seconds and tackled her to the floor hard, pinning her so she could not move. She didn't stand a chance.

The woman came walking towards them, still smiling. "Pietor did not shoot you this time because you are young and not capable of making good decisions. But there will be no more second chances"

The man hauled Lidiya off of her feet and held her arms behind her. She felt the cold muzzle of a gun press into the back of her head.

"Now" the woman grinned. "Shall we go?"


	5. Chapter 5

When Alexei woke up, it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. He sat up in his bed and took a moment to enjoy the comfort of a mattress, of a duvet, of the soft pillows. Coming to think of it, he had never slept in an actual bed. Sure, there was the odd tattered mattress lying around in Moscow. The "beds" at the Glasshouse consisted of a thin mattress and nothing else. But now he had an actual clean, warm, soft bed with cushions and warm sheets!

"Man" he thought to himself. "I could get used to this".

He stretched and got up before checking the time on the clock on the wall. It was around nine in the morning and Alexei grinned, realising there would be no more getting up at four for training, or for that matter, being tossed out of bed randomly every now and then in the middle of the night to run laps or climb or fight or-

Alexei let out a laugh. If he could truly trust this Dr. Nero or G.L.O.V.E, he would never see the Glasshouse again. No more brutality. No pain and no constant fighting to stay sane, or even just to stay alive. No more Furans.

"No stop. Stop it. You don't know if you can trust these people yet. Nothing's ever this perfect so don't get your hopes up" he scolded himself.

He paused for a moment to repeat this in his head. He could not afford to be naive and trusting this organisation by just the kindness they had shown without proof of any truth in their words may well be suicide. If the Glasshouse had taught him anything, it was that images are deceiving.

Alexei sighed and looked looked at Lidiya who was still asleep, curled up in the fetal position. He did not want to wake her so he decided to look around the room. They had both fallen asleep so quickly the night before that they didn't have time to check it out. He was relieved to find no secret cameras or other bugs but he reminded himself that that still meant nothing. They could still be there, just well hidden.

The room was fairly bare with two beds, two wardrobes, a desk and a rug. Not that that really mattered anyway as they didn't really need a lot of it. It wasn't like they had clothes to put away or any stationary to write with at the desk. The walls were white and it had and there was an en-suite bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink. He decided to have another shower, not because he needed it but because he could. For a change he had the luxury of a shower with warm water and soap, and he could take all the time he wanted. So why not? Alexei went into the bathroom again and spent around fifteen minutes in the shower, enjoying the strong spray of hot water hitting against his back.

When he came out he found Lidiya, awake and dressed in a black T-shirt and trousers.

"The woman - Raven, I think her name is - came in" she said. "She said that they'd be bringing us breakfast soon and also asked us not to leave this room as according to her, new arrivals in whatever this place is can cause, and I quote "a disturbance". So uh… yeah. Oh and she brought us a change of clothes" Lidiya tossed him a bundle from across the room. "So can you go and put them on because I just woke up and it's too early to be greeted with the sight of you in just a towel"

"What?" He laughed, teasing her. "Intimidated by these abs?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just go get changed. And for the record, I have the better abs"

"Sure"

"Seriously. I do"

"Whatever you say"

"Alexei… just put your damn clothes on"

"Fine" he sighed and returned to the bathroom once more to get dressed. It was good to see Lee back to herself after the previous night, even if that did mean a constant stream of sarcasm. To be honest though he was glad she was like this. It meant against everything that she had been subjected to, she never became the mindless robot that the Furans tried so hard to make her. She was too stubborn for that.

.

.

.

"How long has it been since the escape?" Nero asked.

The two young assassins were once again sitting across from Nero in his office, answering his questions.

"About two months" Alexei replied.

"The Furans have almost definitely moved location by now then."

"Well… Yes they probably have."

There was a silence. Nero realised that they were back to square one again. He had hoped these two could provide something, anything, but unfortunately not. At least they had incredible ability and would make great students at H.I.V.E but for now he had to think of another way of tracking down the Furans. Unless…

"I understand that you have both been through a lot of trauma and I have no place to ask this of you but I have an idea as to how you can help us find the Furans. Before you answer, please know that what I have in mind is dangerous and you have every right to decline-"

"If it means capturing the Furans then we're both in" Lidiya blurted out. "Uh… sorry to interrupt"

"Okay" said Nero, somewhat taken aback by the girl's enthusiasm. "Before you leave though, I suggest you get rest and it will take planning so I estimate you will not begin the operation for about two weeks"

The pair were listening attentively.

"What I propose is to use you both as type of bait. Was France the first time you had encountered guards since your escape?"

"Yes, well apart from the few days after we broke out" Alexei said, curious as to what this had to do with the plan.

"Would you say it was the first place in which you could have been spotted through security cameras?"

"I'd say so, yes"

"Well then it is clear then that they are monitoring the cameras in search of you two. If we were to have you both stay where you can be found through security footage for a while than a team of Glasshouse guards will almost definitely come. We will have a team of our own standing by who can incapacitate the guards and interrogate them. Although is unluckily any of the guards will give us information, it is still worth a try"

"Sure" Lidiya agreed. "Just… please make sure that your men are good enough. After what happened in France the Furans will send nothing short of an army to get us"

"Don't worry" Raven, who was leaning against the door, chimed in. "They'll be lead by me after all"

"Yes, Raven is particularly skilled and our forces are excellent. You have no need to worry"

The girl nodded.

"It must be boring for you to be stuck in the one room" Raven said. "How about you come to the training centre with me this afternoon"

"Sure" Alexei shrugged. "I for one am not used to doing so little all day"

.

.

.

Raven watched the two sparring and had to admit she was impressed. The two were excellent, even by Glasshouse standards. Although the girl faster and was had better technique, the boy made up for it with his height and strength. She was curious as to how these two had managed to escape. She knew herself how difficult it was, having attempted it herself on more than one occasion. She knew they couldn't have fought their way out. Yes, they were good but no one was good enough to fight their way through over fifty armed and highly skilled guards. And even if they had managed it somehow then they would still have to find their way through they wastelands that always surrounded the Glasshouse and almost certainty would have died from exposure. Yet she didn't want to ask them. Not yet anyway. If their experience there was anything like her own then the last thing they'd want to do was describe it to someone, especially someone they'd just met. It would mean they'd have to remember it. Besides, she doubted they fully trusted her or Max yet and she wanted to respect their privacy.

Thud. Alexei hit the floor with Lidiya on top of him, pinning him down.

"Two minutes and thirty four seconds" Raven said, looking at her watch. "Alexei remember to stay low. The lower your centre of gravity, the harder you are to knock over"

Lidiya helped him to his feet with a grin.

"Three - nil to me" she teased. "And naturally, it's because I have better abs. It's all to do with upper body strength, you know."

"Oh shut up."

Raven walked up to the pair of them."You two are both excellent" she said. "Who knows, you might even be able to beat me. With emphasis on "might"

"Well maybe if you ditch the purple glowing swords…" Lidiya replied.

"The Katanas?"

"Yeah"

"Do you have much experience with swords?"

"No, I'm more of a knives person myself. And Alexei prefers guns or anything he can shoot with while being far away from a fight because he's a wuss"

"I am not a wuss" Alexei argued with mock offense. "I just have a good aim and like to avail of it "

"Can you throw knives?" Raven asked.

"Lee's better at it than me but yeah,we can both throw knives"

'If you'd like, there are some throwing knives in the store room down the corridor. We can go to the target range"

"Sure" Lidiya said. "I'll get them"

She left the room leaving Raven and Alexei together. After a moments silence Raven spoke.

"How are you?"

"Sorry?"

"I mean how are you feeling. The Glasshouse is not a particularly great place and I was just wondering if your okay"

"Well… "okay" is a compliment but I'm coping well enough I guess"

"That's good" Raven said.

"Why are asking?" asked Alexei. "I mean… why now. When Lee's not here?"

"I don't think she trusts me yet. She probably wouldn't want to talk about anything like this"

"Nope, she's not one for conversations about feelings"

Raven laughed. "Yeah, I got that impression"

There was another silence.

"Can I ask you something?" Alexei asked.

"Okay"

"At the Glasshouse, the Furans were always talking about someone called Natalya and she had the codename "Raven". Apparently she was one of the most promising students at the Glasshouse but on a mission and went AWOL and has been working against them since. The Furans have been hoping to find someone good enough to go assassinate her, which is why I know this much. That's actually what they wanted Lidiya for. She was the best fighter that had seen in years, and it's why they put up with her disobedience for so long. If it wasn't for her usefulness actually, she'd be dead by now. But anyway, you're… you're Natalya, aren't you? You know a lot about the Glasshouse, from what I've heard you're incredibly skilled, and people refer to as Raven. You're her, right?"

Raven sighed. "Yes, I'm her. I was wondering if you'd know who I am. Apparently you do."

Alexei nodded. "What happened? What made you suddenly decide to go against the Furans?"

"That's a story for another day" she said, as Lidiya walked through the door carrying the throwing knives. "Shall we go see your skills?"


	6. Chapter 6

"We're going to be landing in around ten minutes" Raven informed Alexei and Lidiya.

They were sitting in the belly of a shroud going to Germany. Alexei thought back to the last time he had been in a shroud a little over two weeks ago when he had woken up scared and confused. Had that really only been two weeks ago? It seemed a lot longer.

Although he was wary at first he had to admit that G.L.O.V.E had gained his and Lidiya's trust,especially since he discovered that Raven was a former Glasshouse student. They had shown them nothing but kindness and Alexei wasn't sure how to repay them. He hoped helping catch the Furans tomorrow would be a start.

The two sat in a tense silence as the shroud began it's descent. Even though he knew the mission would be fairly safe as they would be observed constantly by G.L.O.V.E operatives, they both still knew there was he and Lidiya could fall back into the unwelcome hands of the Glasshouse.

The shroud touched down with a small thud and Raven climbed down from the cockpit and approached them, offering them both a hand up.

"We will spend tonight in a G.L.O.V.E owned safehouse so we can go over everything one last time" she said as she she pressed the button on the wall that lowered down the ramp. They had landed in a large cornfield at night. Alexei assumed this was so no one could see them land as they were far from any civilization.

The safehouse was a short walk away, disguised as old barn. A concealed keypad opened a door which led them down a flight of stairs into a well lit room with computers, food, weapons,and first aid. As Raven left to go confirm with Nero that they had arrived safely, Alexei and Lidiya were left alone.

"Do you feel nervous about tomorrow?" Lidiya asked.

"A bit, yeah." he confessed. "What about you?"

"I don't know. I keep telling myself that nothing bad is going to happen but…" she sighed. "I just have a nagging feeling something's gonna go wrong. I can't get the thought out of my head"

She sat down on the fold-out bed and Alexei joined her.

"Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you never got recruited by the Glasshouse?" asked Alexei.

"Well I'd probably have died from starvation or hypothermia or something"

Alexei shrugged at her response.

"Yeah, that's probably true for both of us." He paused. "It's strange isn't it? We both wish we never got recruited but if it hadn't happened we wouldn't be here now. We wouldn't be well fed or sleeping in a bed. We wouldn't have an opportunity to help take down a toxic establishment. In fact we wouldn't even know it existed."

Lidiya raised an eyebrow.

"Not that I mean it was necessarily the best thing that ever happened to us" he quickly corrected himself, realising what he was implying. "It's just a bit weird. Looking back on it, I'm almost glad. Almost."

"Yeah I understand" Lidiya said. "Just don't get your hopes up too much because it all go wrong tomorrow. Then you won't be so glad."

You're such a pessimist"

"No. Just a realist"

"It's unlikely things will go south tomorrow" Raven interrupted as she walked into the room. "It's a simple plan and there will be two guards manning snipers near you at all times. You will also be equipped with earpieces so we can alert you if anything comes your way"

"Yeah, I guess" sighed Lidiya. "I'm letting my imagination get the better of me"

"It's understandable that you are nervous considering everything you've both been through. Try to get some sleep tonight as you have an early start in the morning. There's only the one bed though so you're either going to have to share or one of you will have to sleep on the floor." She paused. "Also, enjoy your dinner"

She tossed two granola bars on the bed and left the room.

.

.

.

When Alexei woke up, it was still dark out and clouds blocked out the stars. It was probably going to rain. He turned over to Lidiya and shook her awake. They had decided to share the bed as it was large enough for the two of them, but that was a decision he now regretted as Lidiya had a habit of stealing all of the duvet.

They got up and got ready, putting on the clothes and equipment that had been left out for them. Raven had left them alone late last night as she had to get position with the rest of G.L.O.V.E's forces. Once they were sure they had everything they began trudging along towards the city which was not to far away.

"The plan is simple" Lidiya repeated to herself. "Nothing's going to happen"

They just had to reach the city, find one of the spots that Raven had showed them on the map and stay there for a few hours pretending to sleep or eat and if no one came then they would move to the next spot. The Furan's did not know how they had spent the last two weeks and still thought they were out there somewhere on the run. Or at least that was what everyone hoped as the entire plan depended on it. It was reasonable for someone to be able to reach Germany from France in around two and a half weeks on foot which was why this location was chosen and they had to make it look like they were just unlucky enough to stumble across the view of some more security camera's. And if the Furan's were still searching through surveillance footage for them which they most likely were, then it would only be a matter of time before their guards came running.

There were several of G.L.O.V.E's men on hand at all of the destinations they were to set up camp at and they would receive an alert through their concealed earpieces once Furan's guards were spotted, giving them time to brace themselves. If all went to plan, the guards would never reach them but they were both equipped with sleepers just in case.

They walked on down the country roads. It was all set up so nothing would appear suspicious. The fact that they were travelling at night, carrying the same rucksack and wearing the same clothes that that had had with them in France, and all G.L.O.V.E operatives would dress casually as well. It also made sense that they would choose to hide in Germany as German was the first language after English that trainees had to learn in the Glasshouse and both Alexei and Lidiya spoke it fluently.

They had entered the outskirts of the city now. German houses tended to follow the German stereotype in being efficient. They were small and close together but usually had around three or four stories. The space was always put to good use with furniture fitting in perfectly. And everything was still with everyone asleep, going to get up for school or work tomorrow. Lidiya wondered what it would be like to live a normal life. It would be nice to have food or a family but… it just seemed boring. Maybe she only felt this way because of her lifestyle but the thought of a constant cycle, get up, work, eat, sleep, get up, work, eat, sleep. She couldn't live like that.

"The first place is coming up on your left" Raven's voice crackled into her and Alexei's earpiece.

They found it easily enough. It was a bench in a snug corner with a balcony overhead to shield them from the elements. It was no doubt a popular place for anyone homeless but that was part of the reason this place was chosen. To a passerby that is what they would look like. Just another two homeless people in the city who found somewhere relatively comfy to catch some sleep. They would stay here for an hour or two before moving onto the next spot, just as they had done while on the run previously. It was dangerous to stay in the small place for too long so staying here for ages might give it away to the Furan's that this was a setup.

"And now" mumbled Alexei as he stretched across the bench. "We wait."


End file.
